About Us

Maitri Learning creates educational materials that are research-based, accurate, beautiful, durable, and usable. Maitri Learning was founded somewhat accidentally by a Montessori teacher who was trying to buy the perfect materials for her classroom and couldn't find them anywhere. Now, the materials she created (based specifically on the precise directions received in her AMI training) are used by Montessori teachers, parents, and teacher trainers around the world. We are named after the Buddhist word maitri which means 'having a compassionate, kind heart.' We keep the principle of maitri at the front of all of our business decisions.

When you order Maitri Learning materials you can be confident that you are receiving materials of the highest educational value. All of our materials are designed by a Montessori teacher and rigorously reviewed and tested by Montessori teacher trainers, teachers, and children before they are offered for sale. Our research-based materials contain exactly what you and your children need and nothing else.

Maitri is a green, eco-friendly, fair-wage, right-livelihood, woman-owned business. We pay all of our employees at least $15/hour, which should be our country's national minimum wage. Our prices reflect these fair labor costs along with the higher costs of environmentally-sound paper, toxin-free laminate, and inks made without ozone-depleting substances.

The Center for the Developing Child at Harvard University has just published their latest resource: A guide for supporting the adult part of the families we work with. This guide looks at how we can support adults in building their core life skills, how stress affects our capacity, and how we can deliver information without adding to the stress! Check it out and spread the word.

We are pleased to announce that Julia Volkman (Maitri Learning's founder) has been invited to join the Board of Advisor's for the Diyalo Foundation. The Diyalo Foundation is a local organization in Nepal founded by a team of well-educated, globally-minded entrepreneurs. They're mission is to develop a sustainable, replicable, and organic educational model specifically for children in rural Nepal. They face many challenges beyond repairing earthquake-damaged infrastructure. Key among these is that only two out of every three Nepali children pass the 10th grade. Diyalo is working to change that.

This is an organization worth watching. If you are interested in community-led, sustainable education, please contact the Diyalo Foundation to see how you can get involved.

A lovely article published in the Harvard Gazette today provides a summary of recent support for the long lasting benefits of early education. Use this to help support your advocacy work and parent education efforts.